The sun was just starting to set as Mia casually walked the streets of downtown. Normally, she wouldn't be out until much later, but she didn't want to be out again tonight when that sound was floating through the darkness. Instead, she was hoping to catch someone and be back home while there was still some light.
She walked down the streets with her headphones in her ears, but the sound was turned off. She wanted to appear busy, like she wasn't just strolling aimlessly, lurking around buildings. But she didn't want the distraction of music when she was trying to look for possible targets.
A warm breeze picked up, blowing a piece of paper down the street. Mia walked casually in the same direction, idly hoping it would lead her someplace more promising. Despite the fact that downtown was usually busy, there weren't that many people walking around tonight. It looked like Mia had found the city's off-hours; too late to catch people working in the area, but too early for any of the nighttime activities.
As she turned yet another corner, Mia spotted him. A tall, redheaded boy that Mia recognized vaguely as going to her school. Normally, she didn't like to pick people she might know, but he was the only one in the area. It had been almost an hour and Mia was getting frustrated – he'd have to do, she decided. She put on a bright smile as she walked down the street, waving to get his attention before he walked away.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey." came the disinterested reply.
"You go to Rosemont, don't you?" she asked.
He told her he did and looked at her with a vague kind of interest. But Mia didn't really care what he had to say; she was only glad he was interested because it meant he'd be looking at her that much more closely. As he stared at her, trying to place her, Mia's eyes became flecked with gold.
He continued to stare, mumbling something. Mia didn't bother to respond. Instead she just smiled at him, and in his dazed state, he started to smile back. He stared into Mia's eyes in a way that might have looked lovesick to anyone passing by. The reality, however, was much different. Mia had done this enough to know exactly what this boy was going through. His mind was becoming blank. He couldn't think of anything to say, or even remember what they had been talking about. All he could do was gaze happily into her eyes.
While he'd been staring at her, trying to decide if he'd seen her around the school, Mia had been studying him, a playful smile on her lips. The longer he stared, the more his mind clouded over. Mia asked him what grade he was in, just to make completely sure. He didn't respond. Instead, he leaned forward just a little and his eyes started to close.
Mia knew that he was now under her spell, just the way she'd planned. Her smile widened, and as it did her teeth became just a little bit longer, thinner.
She wondered if she really did know this boy – maybe he was in one of her classes after all. But it didn't matter. Even if he was, he was so far gone that there was no chance he'd remember her. Mia looked around, checking one last time to makes sure they really were alone before she struck. She didn't see anyone, but decided to take the boy around the corner where there was less light. Just in case. She guided him casually down the street. He followed thoughtlessly, shuffling along the sidewalk. His short steps barely cleared the pavement and she vaguely wondered what she'd do if he tripped. She could lift him up easily if she wanted to, but it might look a little strange.
Fortunately, he made it around the corner without any problems. It wasn't nearly as bright here, and Mia's confidence grew with the darkness. She looked closely at the boy one more time, just to make sure their little walk hadn't started to bring him up out of his trance. It hadn't. He was still as dazed as ever, and Mia knew it was time to strike.
She carefully set the boy down on the ground. He was already pretty unstable, and she didn't want to have to worry about him falling when she was only halfway done. She leaned him back, still keeping her arm under his head. She looked at his face one last time, watching as his eyes closed. His head fell back slightly and his neck was exposed to the sky. Mia smiled down at him as the excitement started to well up inside of her: this was her favorite part. She leaned in and bit him, letting her teeth sink into his soft neck.
Warm blood gushed into her mouth and for several minutes Mia stayed there, drinking until she'd had her fill. Even though she was careful to never take more than she needed, she almost hated when it was finally over. There was no way she would ever tell anyone how much she actually enjoyed the attack. It wasn't that she liked hurting people – she tried not to think about that part. What she did enjoy was the challenge, and the feeling of finally being full that she only got the first night after she'd had fresh blood.
When she was done, she pulled her head away from the boy and looked down. His eyes were still closed, and Mia thought he looked almost peaceful – like maybe he was just sleeping. She laid him down gently on the sidewalk, trying to make it look like he'd naturally passed out there for some reason. Before she stood up, she checked to make sure she hadn't left behind any evidence that she was there.
Mia picked herself up off the sidewalk, glancing around as she did. She could hear the sound of cars driving on the next block, but there was no one on this street with her to see what she'd done. Without wasting any more time, she turned on her heel and started to casually walk away. She was still feeling giddy from the attack, but she knew that this was the worst possible time to let her guard down. Now that there was a boy laying unconscious on the sidewalk only feet away from her, it was time to get out of there as fast as she could. Without glancing back a second time, she walked away, hurrying towards the busier streets where she could disappear into the crowds.
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